Happy Winter Solstice!

Today is a very special day - it's the Winter Solstice! It's the shortest day and the longest night of the year, and it officially marks the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere. It is also a special day that has been celebrated around the world all throughout history which I find really exciting. I love those special occasions that occur every year, going back to ancient times. These traditions tie us together with the earth and with all the fascinating people that came before us, it's very neat :) It's also an important time to get super connected with the people around us - to find comfort in each other during the darkest time of the year. Before we had supermarkets, this was a dangerous time during which famine was quite possible. People prepared for months and months in order to be able to survive the winter.

Here are some extra tid-bits about the Winter Solstice:

• "Solstice" comes from the Latin phrase meaning "sun stands still".

• Massive prehistoric monuments (ex. Ireland's Newgrange tomb) are aligned to capture the lights at the very moment of the Winter Solstice sunrise.

• In many cultures, this is seen as a time when the year is reborn.

• In Greek mythology, the gods and goddesses met on the winter and summer solstice.

• There are countless different celebrations and traditions happening in different places and cultures at this time of the year.

This is a great time to connect with the world around us and celebrate an exciting experience, as has been done for thousands of years. Starting tomorrow, the days will get shorter and the nights will get longer.

Enjoy!